The primary concerns of a person or amputee having the need for a prosthetic body part are twofold. First, it is highly important to the amputee that the prosthetic member appears as natural as the missing body part. Where the missing body part is a hand or a foot, it is desirable for pusposes of symmetry that the prosthetic replacement appears essentially as the mirror image of the other corresponding body part. Secondly, for purposes of comfort, fit and reliability and function, it is highly important that the prosthetic member conforms with the contour of the amputated limb or extremity. With a proper fit, the correct attachment of the prosthetic member to the extremity is assured, and thus the constraints on the activity of the person are minimized.
The fabrication of an artificial body part to reproduce the natural skin tones, shapes, sizes and idiosyncrasies of the missing body part are dependent, in part, upon the skill of the craftsman. The process for forming a foot or hand, for example, depends on the craftman's ability to make a series of molds to form a plastic or rubber prosthetic member. Single molds heretofore fabricated were made from a metal material for producing numerous prostheses for different patients. The molds were, however, not individually stylized for each patient and thus would not uniquely match the other corresponding uninjured body part.
The prior techniques employed in attaching a prosthetic member to an extremity required a relatively large surface area of the limb to produce a frictional engagement, thereby providing a reliable attachment of the member to the extremity. By the use of the techniques heretofore known for attaching a prosthetic member to a limb, it was also advantageous to use the irregular contours of the limb for additional frictional engagement. For severe toe or forefoot injuries, disease or deformities, surgeons still amputate the complete foot above the ankle to provide a stump considered ideal for acceptance of a prosthesis, made by conventional techniques. In this manner, it was thought that the prosthetic member could be conformed around the irregular part above the ankle to thereby provide an improved attachment of the member to the stump. A need therefore exists for a method and technique which eliminates the unnecessary and excessive amputation which removes a part of the uninjured foot and part of the ankle.
Because of the significance placed on a person's appearance, it is of paramount importance that prosthetic members attain a lifelike appearance, that they be easily reconstructed for replacement, and that an improved attachment to the extremity be provided. It may be seen from the foregoing, that a need has arisen for such an improved technique for constructing prosthetic members which avoid or substantially reduce the shortcomings of the techniques and apparatus heretofore known.